Cisco Systems said it will work with The Walt Disney Studios on the StudioLAB, an initiative focused on developing new technologies, designs and prototypes focused on video production.

The 3,500 square-foot StudioLAB facility will be based on the Disney studio lot in Burbank and lean on a mix of Cisco hardware and software products in areas such as storage, network, orchestration and collaboration.

Some areas of focus will include enhanced remote collaboration for creatives and studio leadership, more seamless and secure connections for filmmakers, the studio and third parties, and more efficient and reliable ways to deliver production data and assets from the set to the cloud, they said.

The Walt Disney Studios produces films for units that include Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, and brings music and stage plays to consumers through The Disney Music Group and Disney Theatrical Group.

Cisco said it’s on board as a founding member and “Innovation Partner” of Disney’s StudioLAB, announcing the partnership during its first XR On the Bay Conference, hosted by Cisco’s Advanced Imaging Society at the company’s corporate campus in San Jose.

In March, Accenture announced it was selected as Innovation Partner for the StudioLAB project.

“We are very pleased to welcome Cisco as a StudioLAB Innovation Partner, as we combine the best of Silicon Valley and Hollywood to help our storytellers tell their very best stories. Through this partnership, we can push the boundaries of how content can be created and consumed,” Benjamin Havey, VP, technology innovation group, at The Walt Disney Studios, said in a statement.

“This partnership is a game changer for the media industry, and we are excited for the opportunity to work closely with The Walt Disney Studios team to prototype, develop and showcase new technology at StudioLAB,” added David Ward, SVP, CTO and chief architect at Cisco. “This will be the place where true innovation comes alive in media entertainment.” 

Turner has acquired the rights to the complete Star Wars movie franchise as part of a multi-year licensing agreement with The Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox, the company said Wednesday.

The agreement calls for TNT and TBS to air 10 Star Wars films -- five of the original six Star Wars films, along with the cable network premiere of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the movie is currently running on pay tv service Starz), the upcoming Rouge One: A Star Wars Story set to debut in theaters this December, and the next three yet-to-be-created Star Wars films -- according to Turner.

In addition, Turner through a separate deal with 20th Century Fox secured deals to the inaugural 1977 Star Wars film A New Hope. Terms of the agreement were not revealed. 

TNT will air the original Star Wars films over six consecutive nights beginning Sept. 20, said the network.

"The Star Wars movies and characters are beloved across generations, captivating audiences and breaking box office records around the globe for nearly four decades," said Deborah Bradley, executive vice president of networks optimization, content strategy and commercialization for Turner in a statement. "Through this deal, TNT and TBS will be the exclusive basic cable home of one of the most iconic, enduring and valuable movie franchises of all time, giving viewers the chance to watch this amazing collection from the very beginning."

TNT presents the original six Star Wars films over six consecutive nights, starting Tuesday, Sept. 20

Tuesday, Sept. 20

8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

11 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Wednesday, Sept. 21

8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

11:05 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Thursday, Sept. 22

8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

11:05 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Friday, Sept. 23

8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: A New Hope

10:45 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: A New Hope

Saturday, Sept. 24

10:45 a.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

1:45 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

4:55 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

10:45 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Sunday, Sept. 25

5:15 a.m. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

8:15 a.m. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

11:20 a.m. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

2:25 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: A New Hope

5:10 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

8 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

11 p.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

2 a.m. (ET/PT) – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

As part of its multi-year partnership with The Walt Disney Studios, Nokia has helped create yet another virtual reality experience for a new theatrical release from the studio, this time for Pete’s Dragon.

Using Nokia’s 360-degree Ozo camera, “Pete’s Dragon: Elliot’s Flyover” takes viewers on a flight on top of Elliot, the dragon from the film.

The short was shot on location in New Zealand, uses CGI effects, and is “our most immersive collaboration with Disney to date,” according to Guido Voltolina, head of presence capture for Nokia.

Read more at B&C. 

Watch the 360-degree video via YouTube: 

Nokia Technologies said it has entered a multi-year deal with The Walt Disney Studios to help the content house create complementary virtual reality/360 video content for its theatrical releases using vendor’s OZO VR camera and integrated software.

Of recent note, Nokia and Disney used OZO to create two 360 videos – red carpet coverage and cast interviews -- in support of the April premiere of The Jungle Book.

Nokia launched the OZO in November 2015.

“Virtual Reality represents a new frontier in storytelling, and we’re thrilled to be bringing this VR technology to the team at Disney,” Ramzi Haidamus, president at Nokia Technologies said, in a release. “OZO will help Disney bring their film properties to life in new ways through immersive entertainment experiences, and our focus will be on helping them get the most out of VR as they begin to uncover all that it has to offer.”

“We are very excited to collaborate with Nokia Technologies to help explore the creation of VR content for our theatrical releases,” said Jamie Voris, Chief Technology Officer, The Walt Disney Studios.

 “We aim to bring extraordinary experiences to audiences around the world, and specially-created VR content is one more way we can transport people even further into the worlds our filmmakers create,” added Jamie Voris, The Walt Disney Studios’s CTO.